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President Donald Trump has spoken with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signaling what could be a significant shift in the ongoing war against Iran.
“Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia,” PM Modi announced in a statement on Tuesday.
He continued, “India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability.”
President Trump additionally reposted an invitation to engage in diplomatic dialogue regarding the Middle East from Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif.
“Pakistan welcomes and fully supports ongoing efforts to pursue dialogue to end the WAR in the Middle East, in the interest of peace and stability in region and beyond,” PM Sharif wrote.
These movements are important, considering the current five-day pause on U.S. military strikes against Iranian infrastructure, pending negotiations with unnamed leadership entities within the regime.
India’s inclusion in the conversation could amount to introducing a neutral mediator into the diplomatic landscape. The rising nation has largely sought strategic, friendly partnerships with global powers around the world, including the United States.
In fact, Ret. Col. Douglas Macgregor, a former senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense, recently suggested during an interview with independent journalist Tucker Carlson that India could assist in bringing the war in the Middle East to an end.
“You have to find an intermediary, first of all – someone who is not part of the problem,” Macgregor said. “My personal preference, if I were advising the president, is to call Prime Minister Modi in India.”
Col. Macgregor pointed out that PM Modi has positive relationships with both Iran and Israel. “He’s historically leading a neutral state and a neutral state that is growing…we should recognize that and welcome it, not treat it as a problem,” the colonel added.
As reported by RSBN, stocks rose, and oil prices dropped on Monday after President Trump announced diplomatic negotiations with the Iranian regime.
“We’ve had very, very strong talks,” President Trump told reporters this week. “We’ll see where they lead. We have points, major points of agreement, I would say almost all points of agreement.”